A beautiful woodsy session with Melissa Neck Photography, and this year’s resulting holiday card:
-
- A light rain was falling that foggy fall afternoon, finally betrayed by Henry's fur.
Holiday Photos 2015
Image
Reply
Tag Archives: winter
Happy Valentine’s Day
Image
taken by our awesome wedding/family photographer, Isabel March
Isabel March, our fabulous wedding photographer, held a Little Love Portraits event with complimentary(!) mini studio sessions in honor of Valentine’s Day. With our busy lives, it was a nice reminder to stop and capture the moment. Only a short time ago, our tiny 5-lb valentine came home and transformed our world. She’s now a sweet, endearing toddler who seems to have picked up her puppy’s habit of making friends wherever she goes. A singing, dancing, belly-laughing little girl with a big grin, tiny feet, and baby wisps still waiting for real hair to grow. Happy Valentine’s Day, and happy birthday, little Madeline. May this memory be one of many we will hold dear always.
Mimi Moush valentines
Image
Last Valentine’s Day, I had a shelf exam and Madeline had a GI virus. So, class valentines did not happen. Fortunately, being in a class of 1-year-olds means they didn’t really miss much.
This year might be Mommy’s last chance to make Madeline valentines for a while. Besides being super into Frozen (audio here and video here), Madeline loves “Mimi Moush,” whom she knows as her crib buddy. So Mimi Moush valentines we did.
She’s come a long way from her tiny almost-9-week-old self.
So, we ordered Minnie valentine cupcakes from my awesome friend Judy of The Good, Bad and Yummy, who also made Madeline’s birthday cake.
photo credit: www.thegoodbadyummy.com
This morning, she was not feeling the Valentine dress, so we went with her “babybug” shirt instead.
Babybug: “Cheese!”
The cupcakes were a big hit, as were the treats from her class party.
Madeline’s interpretation of Let It Go
Each night at bedtime, Madeline gets a song. This routine has become unwieldy given her penchant for repetition, but evidently she has been paying attention, at least. Who knew kids had such good memory at this age?
“Weh ee go, weh ee go”
It’s challenging to catch Madeline on digital media because she often wants to grab the recording device. Here, she is absorbed in singing her song to Mookey and Boo.
Madeline’s first visit to the Poconos
Image
What a visit to the Poconos! Although Madeline first became acquaintanced with snow in Philly, she was delighted to play in fresh, deep fluff for the very first time. She also, for the very first time, identified “Gama” and “Gampapa.” By the end of the weekend, she added to her vocabulary “Eemee” (Amy), “No-wah” (Laura), and “Mee-am” or “Ee-am” (Liam).
First came story time with Gama and Gampapa on the evening we arrived. M loves her board book collections, perfectly sized for her hands. She especially loves her Mother Goose rhymes, including “Dumpy Dumpy,” “Fuffin Man,” “Kinko Shar,” “Pah Cake,” and “Diddo Diddo.”
The next morning, we headed out for the grownups to ski while baby and puppy explored the snow:
-
- step carefully
-
- hmmmm
-
- what happens if I...
-
- ...pickthisstuffupandthrowitintheair?
-
- just a nice shot
-
- After Daddy left, Madeline asked, "Daddy? Bebe gir?"
-
- still learning to wade through knee-high snow
-
- maybe i'll go down this bank
-
- oops. How do I get up?
Back home for lunch and a little playtime with Dad:
-
- yummy buttered toast
-
- here I come!
-
- mmmmwah sloppy kiss
Heading out for the afternoon, we were much more about our wits and ready to play.
Fortuitously, we discovered a neighborhood friend!
-
- Do you wanna build a snowman?
-
- It's okay, I'll show you how.
-
- Wow! A snowball!
-
- Thank you for making me a new snowball every time I destroy it.
-
- How amazing is Bibbeh?
-
- New game: brush the snow off the bushes!
-
- Only when Bibbeh stands up straight is it apparent how much older and taller she is than M
-
- New game twist: brush snow off the rock!
-
- Mommy this is so much fun!!
-
- Okay, now we have a NEW game...
-
- ...First you dig,...
-
- ...and then you lie down!
-
- how awesome is this picture
-
- a little fourth position for balance
-
- Wanna try holding this giant snowball? It's okay if you smash it.
-
- I'll show you how to make a new one!
Winding down after a full day. Let’s do some rock n reading.
Out to play the next morning. Say goodbye to the adults! We’ve got business with a toboggan.
-
- Henry knows what's up
-
- my first wipeout
-
- I know you said don't eat it.
-
- I am ignoring your advice about germs and proceeding with snow tasting.
-
- This is fun. Really.
-
- Again Mommy! Again!
Afternoon ski time. Go away Dad, I’ve got a toboggan to ride.
-
- Hmm, the snow isn't fluffy like yesterday.
-
- It's kinda slippery.
-
- Wheeeee!
Finally, some scenic shots over the weekend:
Happy Birthday, Babies!
Image
The babies in our little circle of friends were all born around the same time, so rather than have a slew of birthday parties (and cakes…and goodie bags…and party commitments), a friend and I decided to do our kids’ two-year-old birthday celebration together. Happy birthday to R, M, and the rest of the gang.
Our amazing two-sided Elmo cake and cupcakes were made by my friend Judy of The Good, Bad and Yummy. Judy is a hilarious kind-hearted soul and directed me in my all-time favorite role, Sally in YAGMCB. Most. Fun. Ever. Nowadays she pours her creativity into her baking. She made the bottom tier of mint chocolate chip cake and the top of red velvet, and both were indeed yummy.
First, the kids went to play while things were getting settled.
Then, we started on the cake and munchies.
Next, we attempted a group photo. You can just imagine the storyline here. We had a near fall with a dad on hand to catch, someone who brilliantly conferred upon each toddler a balloon, a brief alignment of smiling babies, and rapid deterioration into chaos as their attention lapsed.
Finally, they went back to the playroom. M was a big fan of the cat (“Kitty! Kitty!”).
The kids had a few presents to open. M was excited for books, Minnie Mouse, and shoes.
Madeline’s first snow
Image
The first real snowfall of the season occurred a few days after New Year’s. Until then, Madeline had never truly experienced snow; she was only a bundled-up baby in a carrier the previous winter. I am thankful to be able to capture this moment in photo and film. Thank you, smartphone.
-
- What is all this, Mama?
-
- It makes crunchy noises
-
- Footprints! How'd those get there?
-
- THIS STUFF IS AWESOME!!!
Happy New Year!
this year’s holiday card
Better late than never, right?
Poor Henry endured much yogurt, fur tugging, and swatting from Madeline last year. Fortunately they are still buds. It’s amazing how M has grown and yet still looks very much like her baby self.
Christmas 2014
Image
2014 might well be our last year to sleep in on Christmas Day for quite a while. (Last year’s photos are here.) Madeline had been asking to open the gifts under the tree, but she doesn’t yet understand the concept of Christmas Day. This year’s holiday was all about introducing her to the tree, to decorating it with ornaments, to seeing the Nutcracker (a kids version put on by the Rock School), wrapping presents, and now opening them.
With a little help getting started, she’s gotten the hang of ripping off wrapping paper. First came a Hess truck with a space cruiser and a little baby scout ship. The space cruiser emits sound effects upon swerving or diving, making it a big hit with Daddy (and baby).
-
- Madeline looks like a pirate when she says cheese
Next, we have a family of Calico Critters, the Woodbrook Beaver Family.
-
- Henry investigates
-
- She looks like she's going to eat her critter...
-
- ...but she actually is giving it a kiss.
Then some snow mittens, a detour to the trash (“srash”), and Brio trains!
-
- Clothes. Practical (Daddy says boring) Christmas gifts you will receive the rest of your life.
-
- Off to put wrapping paper in the trash. "Srash? Srash?"
-
- M loves to put things in the trash.
-
- Old school Brio!!!
-
- The Brio love starts early.
And in the biggest box was a Safari Express train set, a perfect finale to Madeline’s Christmas morning.
-
- that snotty nose couldn't be happier
Madeline had a present for Daddy, but she was somewhat reluctant to give it.
-
- rufflebutt demands an inspection of the box contents
-
- rufflebutt goes to read her new books instead
What’s a holiday without coloring on your face?
Some shots with the afternoon sunlight.
-
- afternoon sun
-
- cardinal in the window
-
- the stockings, and a rainbow!
-
- an ornament mommy made for daddy out of materials from our wedding
-
- last year's photos decorate this year's tree
Christmas dinner.
-
- Christmas goose
-
- the parsley sort of makes it look less creepy -- daddy laughed at mommy for even trying
Some evening shots of the tree.
-
- how the tree looks from M's point of view
Madeline ended her Christmas day by laying her head in Mommy’s lap and falling asleep on the hard wood floor. Mommy was unable to move for the next half hour.
Christmas 2013
Image
This holiday season we celebrated our precious baby girl. With tiny delicate hands and soft wispy baby hair, she seems only slightly bigger than the 5-pound Valentine we first brought home. (And she still fits in 3-6 month shoes.) Our dear little Madeline — whose name fittingly derives from old German for “little girl” — has so much happiness and love to share. As if on cue, she just began saying “Mum-ma? Mum-mum-mum-ma?”
-
- helping Daddy make cookies
-
- hooray things for little fingers to grab!
-
- the luxurious family restrooms at Longwood Gardens
-
- Hello!
-
- best...scratches...everrrrrr
-
- What is this Christmas morning business?
-
- OOOOOH CAMERA
-
- the discovery of a shiny ornament
-
- caught in the act!
-
- is there a problem, officer?
-
- Grandpa trades the shiny fragile paper star for a durable fabric wreath
-
- i'll take this one instead!
-
- hooray unwrapping presents!
-
- am i doing this right?
-
- this stuff is great!
-
- wait, the paper ripping/eating wasn't the present?
-
- oh i get it!
-
- silly me!
-
- why is Grandma making me stand?
-
- Henry, those presents are for ME!
-
- Grandma shows Madeline the stocking she made for her
Happy Holidays 2013
Image
We did mail these on time; I just haven’t had time to blog. Or facebook. Or read the news. Or sleep. Thanks, school! Glad you are finished for the semester. And so happy to spend a cozy winter break with my baby girl. Once again, she is reminding me to appreciate simplicity. That is, I don’t have to be crazy busy to be happy, because she’ll give me plenty to do. Don’t go looking for trouble, Mommy.
Photos courtesy of the lovely Ericha Farrington.
First Snow 2013
Image
Technically, Philly’s first snow of the season was earlier, but that stuff didn’t stick.
Mama and babies at Rittenhouse Square
Babymoon at Disney World: Around the Resort
Image
Babymoon part 6 of 6. Besides visiting the parks, we spent a lot of time at other resort attractions. It was nice to do everything at a leisurely pace and made for a great vacation 🙂
Brunch, then Fantasia Gardens Mini Golf
-
- This is why the Swan buffet breakfast is my second-favorite meal on property.
-
- Someone interfered with our picture.
-
- Oh, it's Goofy.
-
- Hole in one!
-
- Belly! 7 months (31 weeks)
-
- Chris likes to know how far ahead he is.
-
- Beware of squirting statues!
The Boardwalk
-
- Panorama of the Boardwalk
-
- The evening special: dorado. The best fish Chris has ever eaten.
-
- Seafood stew with a fancy name I forgot.
-
- The bathroom stalls in the ESPN Club have screens so you don't have to miss any sports action.
Downtown Disney
-
- Downtown Disney at night, view from the Sassagoula River ferry boat
-
- Awesome LEGO sculpture of Maleficent and Prince Philip
-
- Inside Ghirardelli
Disney Quest
-
- Our first DisneyQuest!
-
- Chris was very disappointed in my aim/shooting ability in this Toy Story version of bumper cars.
-
- 3D VR version of a Pirates adventure
Babymoon at Disney World: Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Image
Babymoon part 5 of 6. The best part of DAK is the safari, and the best time to go is in the morning. The animals are active then and give you plenty of photo ops. In fact, half of our images came from Animal Kingdom. Whereas motorized attractions and themed settings are reproducible and practically perfect visuals every time you see them, animals choose whether to cooperate for your camera. And they are just so darn awesome.
-
- We caught one of the last few days of holiday decor at DAK.
-
- A visual guide to the animals we might see on our safari!
-
- Hello.
-
- Strrrrrretch.
-
- Elephants scratch their tusks here to eat the red clay for extra minerals and nutrients.
-
- Baobab tree
-
- BABY ELEPHANT!
-
- BABY RHINO!
-
- Baby rhino butt.
-
- At Rafiki's Planet Watch, there are viewing monitors of animals receiving care in the pens. You can maneuver the cameras to observe them.
-
- Nom nom lettuce.
-
- I'll take some more.
-
- OKAPI!
-
- Warthog!
-
- Our hands compared to the hands of a gorilla
-
- Intimidating.
-
- Lunch at the Yak and Yeti.
-
- Paper straws!
-
- Komodo dragon!
-
- I didn't know bats were this big.
-
- Springing into action
-
- Playful?
-
- Festival of the Lion King
-
- We went on the safari again in the afternoon. Most of the animals were snoozing somewhere out of sight, but we did catch a few. Hello Hippo!
-
- BABY ELEPHANT AGAIN!
-
- The king of the jungle looking over his land
Babymoon at Disney World: Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Image
Babymoon, part 4 of 6. By a small margin, the Studios is our favorite park. It feels old-timey and nostalgic. It has great live-action shows with talented performers and fun rides. Unfortunately with the pregnancy we didn’t go on my favorite, Rockin’ Roller Coaster. That just means we’ll have to come back!
-
- I can't remember what was here before, but yay PIXAR!
-
- Best new ride: Toy Story Mania! You ride through a series of 3-D scenes with target shooting games like at a fair and earn points. Chris did much better than I.
-
- Backlot Studio Tour
-
- This playground used to seem bigger.
-
- A favorite, the Great Movie Ride
-
- Walt Disney: One Man's Dream. It's like a museum of Disney!
-
- Concept for the new Little Mermaid ride at Magic Kingdom
-
- 50's Prime Time Cafe
-
- Best chocolate malt I've ever had.
Babymoon at Disney World: EPCOT
Image
Babymoon part 3 of 6. The day we visited EPCOT was very cloudy and drizzly. The weather made photography and visiting the countries less than ideal, but on the plus side, it wasn’t crowded at all, and we managed to hit our favorites 🙂
-
- The Mexico cruise ride. When I was little, I thought we were really outdoors and that somehow someone turned off the daylight, then turned it back on when we exited.
-
- I love Donald in The Three Caballeros!
-
- Germany, Chris's roots from way back
-
- Funny cuckoo clock!
-
- Sushi lunch in Japan. Yes, I had sushi while pregnant. It tasted as amazing as it looks.
-
- Stratford on Avon
-
- Canada. Pretty!
-
- Hmmmm.
-
- One of my favorite rides is The Land. It exhibits innovative agricultural technologies to improve sustainability and environmental health.
-
- Symbiotic agri/aquaculture!
-
- I'm mildly annoyed that The Living Seas is now a silly Finding Nemo ride, but at least they've kept the aquarium exhibits at the end.
-
- Two manatees who were injured by boat propellers now live here and graze to their hearts' content.
Babymoon at Disney World: Magic Kingdom
Image
Babymoon part 2 of 6. The first park we visited was Magic Kingdom, and we were pleasantly surprised to find the holiday decorations were still in place. Holiday hours were also still in effect, and with the drop in attendance that comes after the new year, we had an easy time navigating the mild crowds. One cool thing that is probably really hard to find anywhere else is the mutoscope — and the Main Street Station has several. Here’s a video of one called “Rodeo Time” in action:
-
- Moseying around Frontierland, we stopped to play checkers. We had to figure out how again.
-
- The five-minute line at Pirates of the Caribbean.
-
- The two-hour line at Journey of the Little Mermaid. We're never doing that again.
-
- Eating a turkey leg while riding the Liberty Belle steamboat.
-
- A nostalgic favorite!
-
- Main Street train station
-
- Inside the train station are old-fashioned mutoscopes!
-
- If not for this picture, I would not otherwise know that these are called mutoscopes.
-
- The mutoscope has a series of prints on a rolodex-like device that turns as you crank the handle, and you see the animation as if it were a flip book.
-
- Country Bear Jamboree
-
- Tom Sawyer Island. This attraction is the type that I would never have spent time on before, but since I was pregnant and not waiting in line for roller coasters, we had time.
-
- Is this a real top-quality cast-iron skillet? Does it pass Butz requirements?
-
- He decided to bounce on this while I crossed.
-
- Inside Harper's Mill
-
- Treasure in Injun Joe's cave!
-
- The raft used to transport to and from Tom Sawyer Island
-
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, my favorite ride as a kid
-
- Captain Jack Sparrow demonstrates
-
- Watching Lady and the Tramp at Tony's
-
- Inside Tony's, Lady and Tramp have on their santa hats!
-
- Dinner time
-
- My first manicotti
-
- Main Street, looking toward Cinderella Castle
-
- The chess game in Pirates of the Caribbean is rumored to be in stalemate, as if the pirates died playing the game because neither side could move.
-
- Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin -- I win!
-
- One of us schooled the other.
